The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Artemisia plant, botanically known as Artemisia vulgaris and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Golden Phoenix’. ‘Golden Phoenix’ represents a new Mugwort, a herbaceous perennial herb grown for ornamental use.
The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Golden Phoenix’, at his nursery in St. John, Ind. in the fall of 2000. The new Artemisia, ‘Golden Phoenix’ was discovered as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of Artemisia vulgaris ‘Cragg-Barber Eye’ (un-patented). The new cultivar was selected based on the chartreuse color of its foliage. ‘Golden Phoenix’ differs from the parent plant in that the leaves of ‘Golden Phoenix’ exhibit a chartreuse to golden coloration that lacks any green markings, whereas the leaves of ‘Cragg-Barber Eye’ have chartreuse foliage with green flecks and green venation and foliage that is highly variable in color and color pattern among different leaves. The chartreuse foliage of ‘Golden Phoenix’ does become more golden in higher light conditions but is consistent throughout the plant. ‘Golden Phoenix’ has also been shown to be less vigorous than is typical for Artemisia vulgaris, a trait that will be beneficial for its use as a garden plant.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by terminal stem cuttings in St. John, Ind. in the fall of 2000 by the inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.